So what did you need right off?

[Ryoko!]

So far this is what we have,

2 avent bottles (they were gifts)
Play yard
bassinette (plus sheets)
all kinds of clothes, socks and hats
diaper genie (it was a gift)
2 snowsuits
5 baby hooded towels
5 recieving blankets
1 fleece blanket
baby bathtub
bouncy seat that plays annoying music
swing
1 package (48) newborn diapers
baby nail clippers
baby hair brush (they said on my last ultrasound he had a hairy head!)
baby wash
baby laundry soap (dreft)
nursing pads
nursing bra (2)
baby wipes
diaper rash cream
stroller

I'm getting a car seat from the hospitial (they give them away so why buy one right?) and there's a few other things I know I need like Q-tips and maybe a pacifier, is there anything I'm forgetting? Or anything that made your transition easier that you would like to recommend? Is a boppy pillow worth the $25.00?

[stupidANDcontagious]

First of all, YES the Boppy is worth every penny, especially after a c-section it helps with nursing immensely. We still use it today.

diaper genie (it was a gift) I would exchange this for the Diaper Champ. Same price, same quality, but you don't have to buy special bags just for the unit that the Genie requires, you can use regular 13 gallon trash bags. I use cloth diapers at home, so I don't use it that much but when I do it's great, no odor whatsoever.

5 receiving blankets I would buy 5 more. After spit-ups, blow-outs with diapers, and other various accidents you could go through at least 2 or 3 a day. Plus I use them all over the house to lay the baby on.

baby nail clippers good in theory, but in the beginning I would just bite my son's nails (still do too). It sounds so primitive but it worked. Now he has grown a bit and his nails have toughened up so I can cut them better. Tiny emery boards are great too. Also, baby mittens for when you can't cut his nails or it is 3am and you notice his long nails but you just want to sleep. Put those things on and you don't have to worry about him scratching his face up. You can use socks too, but the mittens are lightweight and still let them feel their hands through the fabric, like if they want to chew on them.

nursing pads these were a joke for me. when my milk came in I was soaking through 4 pads an hour. I would double and sometimes triple up on each boob and still I could wring them out after an hour like a wash rag. I ended up using maxi-pads folded up because I leaked SO much.

nursing bra (2) unless you do a lot of laundry, and in the beginning you just can't, I would get a couple more. You and your baby can develop thrush if you let wet, dirty bras sit against your skin.

I had a really good breast pump to drain myself when my son was still eating small amounts in the beginning. I was able to store a lot of milk which came in handy later. It was worth the small investment.

Burp cloths or cloth diapers for spit-up and other accidents. Saves the receiving blankets.

Gas drops! You may not need these, but they are so great if your son gets gassy and tight.

I love my sling and my Baby Bjorn. I am very much an Attached parent, and some people think "baby wearing" is stupid and detrimental, but I love it and so does my son. *looks down at the little head below my chin in the Bjorn.*

Nursing gowns/PJs. I bought a couple good gowns from Motherhood and from Target. My boobs were almost too big for the holes, so I would only use the holes if company was over. Otherwise I was topless a LOT at home. I had my baby in the summer so he and I both were naked most of the time, save a diaper and a bra.

Sheet savers are great, especially in the beginning. We wanted to use up all the newborn diapers the hospital gave us before switching to cloth and every single time they would leak. They just do not absorb. So we were changing the bassinet and OUR bed sheets way too much. Finally I got the sheet savers and saved myself the extra work.

do you have batteries for the swing and bouncer and such?

I'm sure I will think of more stuff. I will ask my husband when he gets home..."what stuff did we not have in the beginning that I made you go out and get?"

[Ryoko!]

I actually DO have the baby bjorn (gift also) just forgot to list it lol.

I do need to get more bra's, I won't be able to go around naked too much at first (people and family!) and I'd rather be safe than sorry.

I think I'm going to leak alot, in fact I already leak colostrum on regular basis (in the shower, while I sleep, whenever I feel horny...) but i have some old pads laying around here somewhere...


How is using cloth diapers working out for you? I looked into it but we don't have ANY diaper services around here at all. Kind of a bummer becuase I'd like to try both.

I'm going to rent a pump from the hospitial it's only 5.00 a month and they have like 5 different kinds to choose from, so I get to test drive them all, then I'll decide if I want to buy any at all.

[jan]

Maybe I missed it...a carseat....in TX they walk ya out to make sure ya got one and that it is installed right. <br>I had terrible experiences with toe nail clippers but of course my vision sucks.<br>Cloth diapers are good for having handy for spitups

[angeles]

Since you'll have your baby this winter, it can never hurt to get a humidifer... Just in case the babe gets sick.

-angeles

[jan]

..which reminds me...those little suction deals since they can't blow their noses..:m

[Vik]

You won't need it right away, but the ExcerSaucer (sp??) is the BEST thing we invested in!!!

And we bought cloth diapers just to be burp rags.

[Orlando]

It wouldn't hurt to have some formula milk handy in case your milk dries up (I'm assuming you're breast feeding). My Mum got an abcess from an injection which caused her milk to dry up so my Dad was sent out to find an open chemist at 2 in the morning back in the days when all night shopping was the stuff of a madman's dream - still is in some places here!

Have you got a bag packed for your labour? A cloth to mop you forehead, some pleasant smelling massage oil, a towel and some high energy food (bananas or such if you are allowed to eat at the hospital) are definate musts. Some people also swear by an extra pair of socks for when the chills set in!

[Ryoko!]

I have my labor bag packed...

1 long (and old) t-shirt for labor
3 pairs of warm socks
1 pair slippers
tolietries (shampoo, toothpaste + brush, nursing pads etc...)
my going home outfit (pair of maternity stretch pants, long sweater, nursing bra and maternity undies)
hair dryer
sugar free lollipops
a couple of baby books...what to expect, girlfriends guide, and some magazines
focal point picture

Baby's Bag-
going home outfit
long sleeved onsie
polar fleece over coat
socks
hat
5 diapers (they have the at the hospitial, but I figure I'll bring some anyways...)
wipes
nail clippers
pacifier (as soon as I find one I think I like)


I heard that if I get a can of formula I might be tempted to use it..so I'm iffy on that one.

they give you a suction thing at the hospitial as well, but I might buy one becuase I'll probably lose the one they give me somewhere between the hospitial and home.
I also want to get a mirror that attaches to the carseat so I can see my baby's face from my rearview mirror.
The carseat they give out is the kind that detaches and also makes a great hand carrier and attatches to most shopping carts.

[Orlando]

Sounds like you're ready!

I had a couple of ready made cartons of formula milk on hand in case I needed to use it. Thankfully I didn't and I managed to breast feed for four months. I had a hard time using the breast pumps for expressing - I had more luck doing it by hand.

You're really lucky that you get a car seat from the hospital. In the UK we are given absolutely nothing. They even charge you for the nappies (diapers) if you forget to bring your own. I must have re-checked that bag 50 times! :r

[grumpydawn]

Make sure you add sanitary pads to your bag- the hospital does not provide the ones with sticky backs.


If you live somewhere where the weather is chilly- get yourself a wipe warmer. You don't want to startle the baby when changing him. Desitin- in the tub- sticks better than the tube kind. Simethicone drops are a must!! If you buy the baby Milicon, they usually have a coupon on the inside of the box. And baby oil )I like the gell kind from Johnson's) for cradle cap.


And a Baby Boppy- they work very well for keeping the baby' s head from flopping around in the car seat.

[papillongirl]

I never really used my boppy pillow, but some women love them. You can use regular pillows too.

[soMnUS]

I bought alot of stuff as it was needed and I waited till after my baby showers to see what I received as a gift. I think alot of stuff is un-necessary extras for the small window to use them. Hooded towels only work when they're newborn because they're so small, I put diapers directly into the garbage bag in the garage so the house doesn't smell anyways, I used a regular pillow for nursing and it worked fine, clothes only fit for a few weeks so I have a few in each size but not tons etc. However, I am living on student loan so if you can afford those things then go for it.

[Ryoko!]

A lot of the stuff that I got was from my baby shower, like the diaper genie. I am glad I have it, I don't have a garage, and we live in a small apartment. Otherwise I would take it back and get something else.

I wouldn't have bought a baby bjorn either, but I will probably use it. My husband can't wait to use it! I just hope the baby wants to use it too...i guess some babies hate them.

[soMnUS]

We used the snuggly thing twice and both times Darren did nothing but wail.

[stupidANDcontagious]

Originally posted by Ryoko!
I think I'm going to leak alot, in fact I already leak colostrum on regular basis (in the shower, while I sleep, whenever I feel horny...) but i have some old pads laying around here somewhere...

How is using cloth diapers working out for you? I looked into it but we don't have ANY diaper services around here at all. Kind of a bummer becuase I'd like to try both.


I leaked colostrum from 19/20 weeks on. At the end I had to change pads every time I woke up to pee in the middle of the night. I don't miss that part of pregnancy at all.

Cloth diapers are great. I don't use a service because I don't trust the chemicals and additives services use to treat diapers. Plus I figured out the cost comparisons and I am saving money by doing it all myself. My son has never gotten a rash, he is never uncomfortable in wet diapers, and I only change his outfits once or twice a day, and that's usually from spit-up and not leaky diapers. Our house never smells like baby ass and I never will run out of diapers. I know I have already saved hundreds of dollars by using cloth diapers. Plus, a big factor for us was the environmental issue. It takes a disposable diaper 500 years to decompose, and I don't want to add to the outrageous conditions of our landfills any more than I already do. When we go out for day trips I use disposables out of convenience, since I don't want to rinse craptastic diapers in public sinks. I love cloth diapers and plan on using them for all my future children as well. If you want some links to resources on the cloth diaper debate let me know and I'll dig them up for you.